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www.iwu.edu/~theargus
Volume 118 | Issue 7
October 28, 2011
FEATURES, P. 9
Goodbye, Gaddafi
HANNAH GRIFFIN
NEWS EDITOR
Alumnus makes dream work
MARY NICHOLAS
STAFF REPORTER
소녀시대 새 앨범!
OPINIONS, P. 12
PHOTO COURTESY OF DREAMWORKS
HANNAH JUNE/ THE ARGUS
SEE TIME, P. 3
IWU opens capsule, glimpses its history
Over Homecoming week­end, students, faculty and visit­ing alumni were able to witness a rare event: the opening of a 44-year-old time capsule.
Hidden in the cornerstone of the recently demolished Sheean Library, the copper box contain­ing a glimpse into Illinois Wes­leyan University history was al­most lost forever.
Before this summer, Assistant Dean of Students Matt Dam­schroeder had only heard rumors of campus time capsules. But he wanted to include one in the new main classroom building to be constructed where Sheean Li­brary used to stand.
To establish a time capsule tradition at IWU, Damschroeder turned to University Archivist Meg Miner, who discovered the Sheean cornerstone itself already contained a time capsule.
“It really was a lucky accident in a lot of ways,” Damschroeder said, as the old library had re­cently been slated to come down.
The archives reveal the cor­nerstone was laid in an official ceremony on October 14, 1967. Inside the capsule is a copy of the program, which includes a list of its contents and a Message to Future Generations.
“A message to future genera­tions is being deposited here that those who may someday move this stone will know us by our concerns,” an Illinois Wesleyan librarian wrote that day.
Almost 44 years to the day, Damschroeder read the message aloud at the opening ceremony last Saturday (for an excerpt, see box on page 3).
“It was amazing to read their words, and see that the condi­tions around them were not far removed from the same condi­tions that still exist on our cam­pus,” Damschroeder said.
The Committee on the Cor­nerstone also included literature such as A Student’s Guide to Il­linois Wesleyan Libraries; Pe­riodical Holdings of the Illinois Wesleyan Libraries and the Insti­tutional Profile of Illinois Wes­leyan University, in order to “re­veal the processes of our library, the life of our university and the stimulation of intellectual en­counter as these exist in the fall of 1967.”
“The administrative proce­dures they documented and in­cluded are fun because they un­derscore just how completely technology has changed every­thing, except the fundamental values that underscore that prac­tice and our current practice,” Damschroeder said.
Last Friday night, the smolder­ing voice of Antonio Banderas as the infamous ginger kitty Puss in Boots unofficially premiered at the Hansen Student Center.
This pre-Hollywood screening was made possible by Bill Dam­aschke, Chief Creative Officer of DreamWorks and recipient of the 2011 Illinois Wesleyan Distin­guished Alumni Award.
From IWU to Hollywood
Currently responsible for lead­ing the creative and artistic di­rection of the animation studios, Damaschke did not anticipate such a career upon his 1985 graduation from Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Theatre.
Initially, Damaschke chose to act in New York City. But when the opportunity came along to relo­cate to Los Angeles, he seized the chance to discover what he could offer the film industry.
With one call to the Disney hotline, which snowballed into several interviews, Damaschke found himself working on the popular film Pocahontas. In 1995, he joined DreamWorks, gradu­ally ascending to his current po­sition, which he was offered last spring.
Through his time so far with DreamWorks, Damaschke has been integral to the creation of Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon, both recognized at the Academy Awards. He also per­sonally supervised the transition of Shrek from screen to stage with “Shrek the Musical,” a Tony-Award Winning production and Grammy nominee.
“If you ever have to tell your parents what you’re going to do with a BA in Theatre from Illi­nois Wesleyan, you might want to bring up Damaschke,” said Ann Harding, Director of Alumni Re­lations at IWU.
Home sweet home
Harding, responsible for all the lights, cameras and action en­tailed with this year’s Homecom­ing weekend, worked extensively to ensure the premiere of Puss in Boots would be enjoyed by the entire Illinois Wesleyan family. The mass turnout resulted in a standing-room only event. “Hard­ing really rolled out the red carpet for me,” Damaschke said of the successful evening.
Damaschke thanked Harding during his question-and-answer session with the audience post-screening. “I appreciate your per­sistence and tenacity in getting me back,” he said. “I am enjoying this chance to reconnect with the cam­pus.”
Despite his tight schedule be­tween Friday’s premier, accepting his award at Saturday’s alumni luncheon and presenting a back-to-college class on “Bringing Ani­mation to Life,” Damaschke still had a little time to socialize post-Puss.
“I definitely never saw myself coming back to an after-party in the swimming pool,” he said, referring to the Hansen Student Center’s previous status as a gym­nasium, as it was during his un­dergrad career.
Damaschke enjoyed observing the other ways the campus land­scape had transformed in his long absence. “In a weird way, it’s a mix of exactly what I thought it would be and lots of new things. It looks fantastic,” he said.
And in addition to the Holly­wood flare Damaschke brought to campus last weekend, he’s also been making more discreet con­tributions. “He funds an annual scholarship to support a student who needs help attending IWU,” said Celeste Flachsbart, an ad­vancement officer who works pri­marily with alumni in the south­west region.
“The University has been very generous to give me this award,” Damaschke said. “I feel like if you can give back, you should.”
Words of wisdom
Damaschke generously stayed later after his formal Q and A to meet with admiring students, even accepting a homemade business card from a sixth-grader who at­tended the premiere, with the promise to send him some Puss in Boots paraphernalia.
“I think it’s important that stu­dents take advantage of the oppor­tunities they have to interact with these alums that are so proud of their University, degree and diplo­ma,” Harding said. “Those who attend a small school are lucky to have an alumnus like Damaschke who is willing to put so much time in with current students.”
One of the most important les­sons Damaschke learned from his undergraduate experience in theatre is there are no small parts. During his acceptance speech at the Saturday luncheon, Dam­aschke reminisced about his expe­rience as Soldier No. 1 in “Trojan Women,” which the School of Theatre Arts produced again last spring.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a lead or standing in the back row holding a spear,” Damaschke said. “And it doesn’t matter if you’re in an entertainment com­pany or a business or trying to make your way as an actor. If you’re good at what you do and you try really hard, you will get noticed.”
And for students daunted about finding their way in the real world, Damaschke offered his perspec­tive: “I imagine being in college right now, with all the information out there about how challenging the job market is, it’s hard to re­tain that spirit that your dreams can come true. But I think people who are innovative and enthusi­astic will always get ahead in the world.”
Finally, Damaschke stressed that to be successful as creative leader, he has always valued po­tential. “Don’t ever tell me why something might not work,” he said. “Tell me ten reasons why something might possibly work, and I will listen to you.”
Provost Jonathon S. Green opens the time capsule at a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 22 on the Robert S. Eckley Quadrangle.

Argus issues published from 1894-Spring 2003 were scanned at 600 dpi on a NM1000-SS scanner by Northern Micrographics, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Fulltext OCR was accomplished by the same company in Summer 2009. Issues published from the fall of 2003-present are born-digital.

Please email Tate Archives at archives@iwu.edu or call 309-556-1535 for more information. Permission to reproduce these images must be granted by IWU.

Full Text

www.iwu.edu/~theargus
Volume 118 | Issue 7
October 28, 2011
FEATURES, P. 9
Goodbye, Gaddafi
HANNAH GRIFFIN
NEWS EDITOR
Alumnus makes dream work
MARY NICHOLAS
STAFF REPORTER
소녀시대 새 앨범!
OPINIONS, P. 12
PHOTO COURTESY OF DREAMWORKS
HANNAH JUNE/ THE ARGUS
SEE TIME, P. 3
IWU opens capsule, glimpses its history
Over Homecoming week­end, students, faculty and visit­ing alumni were able to witness a rare event: the opening of a 44-year-old time capsule.
Hidden in the cornerstone of the recently demolished Sheean Library, the copper box contain­ing a glimpse into Illinois Wes­leyan University history was al­most lost forever.
Before this summer, Assistant Dean of Students Matt Dam­schroeder had only heard rumors of campus time capsules. But he wanted to include one in the new main classroom building to be constructed where Sheean Li­brary used to stand.
To establish a time capsule tradition at IWU, Damschroeder turned to University Archivist Meg Miner, who discovered the Sheean cornerstone itself already contained a time capsule.
“It really was a lucky accident in a lot of ways,” Damschroeder said, as the old library had re­cently been slated to come down.
The archives reveal the cor­nerstone was laid in an official ceremony on October 14, 1967. Inside the capsule is a copy of the program, which includes a list of its contents and a Message to Future Generations.
“A message to future genera­tions is being deposited here that those who may someday move this stone will know us by our concerns,” an Illinois Wesleyan librarian wrote that day.
Almost 44 years to the day, Damschroeder read the message aloud at the opening ceremony last Saturday (for an excerpt, see box on page 3).
“It was amazing to read their words, and see that the condi­tions around them were not far removed from the same condi­tions that still exist on our cam­pus,” Damschroeder said.
The Committee on the Cor­nerstone also included literature such as A Student’s Guide to Il­linois Wesleyan Libraries; Pe­riodical Holdings of the Illinois Wesleyan Libraries and the Insti­tutional Profile of Illinois Wes­leyan University, in order to “re­veal the processes of our library, the life of our university and the stimulation of intellectual en­counter as these exist in the fall of 1967.”
“The administrative proce­dures they documented and in­cluded are fun because they un­derscore just how completely technology has changed every­thing, except the fundamental values that underscore that prac­tice and our current practice,” Damschroeder said.
Last Friday night, the smolder­ing voice of Antonio Banderas as the infamous ginger kitty Puss in Boots unofficially premiered at the Hansen Student Center.
This pre-Hollywood screening was made possible by Bill Dam­aschke, Chief Creative Officer of DreamWorks and recipient of the 2011 Illinois Wesleyan Distin­guished Alumni Award.
From IWU to Hollywood
Currently responsible for lead­ing the creative and artistic di­rection of the animation studios, Damaschke did not anticipate such a career upon his 1985 graduation from Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Theatre.
Initially, Damaschke chose to act in New York City. But when the opportunity came along to relo­cate to Los Angeles, he seized the chance to discover what he could offer the film industry.
With one call to the Disney hotline, which snowballed into several interviews, Damaschke found himself working on the popular film Pocahontas. In 1995, he joined DreamWorks, gradu­ally ascending to his current po­sition, which he was offered last spring.
Through his time so far with DreamWorks, Damaschke has been integral to the creation of Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon, both recognized at the Academy Awards. He also per­sonally supervised the transition of Shrek from screen to stage with “Shrek the Musical,” a Tony-Award Winning production and Grammy nominee.
“If you ever have to tell your parents what you’re going to do with a BA in Theatre from Illi­nois Wesleyan, you might want to bring up Damaschke,” said Ann Harding, Director of Alumni Re­lations at IWU.
Home sweet home
Harding, responsible for all the lights, cameras and action en­tailed with this year’s Homecom­ing weekend, worked extensively to ensure the premiere of Puss in Boots would be enjoyed by the entire Illinois Wesleyan family. The mass turnout resulted in a standing-room only event. “Hard­ing really rolled out the red carpet for me,” Damaschke said of the successful evening.
Damaschke thanked Harding during his question-and-answer session with the audience post-screening. “I appreciate your per­sistence and tenacity in getting me back,” he said. “I am enjoying this chance to reconnect with the cam­pus.”
Despite his tight schedule be­tween Friday’s premier, accepting his award at Saturday’s alumni luncheon and presenting a back-to-college class on “Bringing Ani­mation to Life,” Damaschke still had a little time to socialize post-Puss.
“I definitely never saw myself coming back to an after-party in the swimming pool,” he said, referring to the Hansen Student Center’s previous status as a gym­nasium, as it was during his un­dergrad career.
Damaschke enjoyed observing the other ways the campus land­scape had transformed in his long absence. “In a weird way, it’s a mix of exactly what I thought it would be and lots of new things. It looks fantastic,” he said.
And in addition to the Holly­wood flare Damaschke brought to campus last weekend, he’s also been making more discreet con­tributions. “He funds an annual scholarship to support a student who needs help attending IWU,” said Celeste Flachsbart, an ad­vancement officer who works pri­marily with alumni in the south­west region.
“The University has been very generous to give me this award,” Damaschke said. “I feel like if you can give back, you should.”
Words of wisdom
Damaschke generously stayed later after his formal Q and A to meet with admiring students, even accepting a homemade business card from a sixth-grader who at­tended the premiere, with the promise to send him some Puss in Boots paraphernalia.
“I think it’s important that stu­dents take advantage of the oppor­tunities they have to interact with these alums that are so proud of their University, degree and diplo­ma,” Harding said. “Those who attend a small school are lucky to have an alumnus like Damaschke who is willing to put so much time in with current students.”
One of the most important les­sons Damaschke learned from his undergraduate experience in theatre is there are no small parts. During his acceptance speech at the Saturday luncheon, Dam­aschke reminisced about his expe­rience as Soldier No. 1 in “Trojan Women,” which the School of Theatre Arts produced again last spring.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a lead or standing in the back row holding a spear,” Damaschke said. “And it doesn’t matter if you’re in an entertainment com­pany or a business or trying to make your way as an actor. If you’re good at what you do and you try really hard, you will get noticed.”
And for students daunted about finding their way in the real world, Damaschke offered his perspec­tive: “I imagine being in college right now, with all the information out there about how challenging the job market is, it’s hard to re­tain that spirit that your dreams can come true. But I think people who are innovative and enthusi­astic will always get ahead in the world.”
Finally, Damaschke stressed that to be successful as creative leader, he has always valued po­tential. “Don’t ever tell me why something might not work,” he said. “Tell me ten reasons why something might possibly work, and I will listen to you.”
Provost Jonathon S. Green opens the time capsule at a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 22 on the Robert S. Eckley Quadrangle.